Valve operating device

ABSTRACT

A valve stem rotating head is connected via a flexible shaft to a source of rotative power having torque limiting and reversing means associated therewith. The device is preferably mounted on a truck bed and includes a swingable boom mounting said head. The head is also translatable along the boom. In one embodiment, a plurality of such heads are controlled from a common control device utilizing a clutching means for selectively coupling one or more of the heads to the source of rotative power.

United States Patent 11 1 11 Azuma Nov. 12, 1974 [54] VALVE OPERATINGDEVICE 2.898.792 I 8/1959 Fox et al 8l/57.4l

. 52. [76] Inventor: Shoziro Azuma, 41, 2-chome, 12/1960 Banner 4 Sh",St' -k,Tk,

Os lgdya e dgaya u 0 yo Primary E.\'ammerJames L. Jones, Jr. JapanAttorney, Agent, or FirmCushman, Darby & Aug. 25, Cushnyan 211 App].No.: 174,636

v [57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl 81/524 R, 81/5725, 81/5722, A valve stemrotating head is connected via a flexible 81/5729, 81/57. 1 3, 81/5727shaft to a source of rotative power having torque limit- [51] Int. ClB25b B25b 17/00, B25b 21/00 ing and reversing means associatedtherewith. The de- [58] Field of Search 81/524, 57.13, 57.22, vice ispreferably mounted on a truck bed and in- 81/5727, 57.25, 57.29, 57.36,57.41, 177 G cludes a swingable boom mounting said head. The

head is also translatable along the boom. In one em- [56] ReferencesCited bodiment, a plurality of such heads are controlled NITED STA ES TES from a common control device utilizing a clutching 19m 011 5/1933v'Riess et'aL 8H524 R means for selectively coupling one or more of the2:304:038 12/1942 Thom sonIf II... 81/177 0 heads to the source ofnative Power- 2.649,870 8/l953 Keilien 81/5736 2,854,2l7 9/1958 Benjamin81 57.41 2 7 Drawmg F'gures PMENIEDHBV 12 m4 $847,039 sum m a F/G! wINVENTOR ATTORNEYS PMENTEMU! 12 m4 3. 847'. 039

SHEEI 2 0f 3 INVENTOR 446% ZZW ATTORNEY5 PMENTED HEY I 2 I974 'kn il WATTORNEYS VALVE OPERATING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In mostfactories, power plants, water works and other plants having valvedpiping, the valves are usually manually opened and closed. Some valvesare difficult to open and close because of the amount of torque or thenumber of turns needed.

In my Japanese utility model No. 890,665, approved Dec. 19, I969, thereis disclosed a valve operating device as described hereinbelow inrelation to FIGS. la and lb hereof. The invention described hereinelaborates upon that valve operating device to make it more useful whenmounted on a vehicle and/or when several such devices are required tooperate a plurality of valves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided in accordance with theinvention a valve stem rotating head which is connected via a flexibleshaft to a source of rotative powe'r having torque limiting andreversing means associated therewith. The device is preferably mountedon a truck bed and includes a swingable boom mounting said head. Thehead is also translatable along the boom. In one embodiment, a pluralityof such heads are controlled from a common control device utilizing aclutching means for selectively coupling one or more of the heads to thesource of rotative power.

The principles of the invention will be further hereinafter discussedwith reference to the drawings wherein preferred embodiments are shown.The specifics illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify,rather than limit, aspects of the invention as defined in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. la is a side elevation view of a cart-mounted valve operatingdevice as described in my Japanese utility model No. 890,665, approvedDec. 19, I969;

FIG. 1b is a vertical fragmentary cross-sectional view of a valve stemrotating head removably mounted on a valve stem for rotatively openingor closing the associated valve. This head is also disclosed in myaforementioned utility model.

FIG. 2a is a top plan view of a truck having a bed equipped with aboom-carried valve stem rotating head in accordance with principles ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2b is a side elevation view of the equipment depicted in FIG. 1a,showing the boom in an extended condition;

FIG. 3a is a perspective view of apparatus for controlling several valvestem rotating devices from common drive and control units;

FIG. 3b'is a fragmentary elevation view, partly in diagrammatic form toexpose parts otherwise obscured, of

the drive unit including the clutching mechanism for aplurality of valvestem rotating heads; and

FIG. 3c is an end elevation view, partly in diagrammatic form to exposeparts otherwise obscured, of the clutching mechanism of FIGS. 3a and 3b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THEINVENTION For background, the device shown in FIGS. 1a and lb will bedescribed first.

In FIG. la there is shown a wheeled cart 1 with a prime mover 2, e.g.,an electric motor, and a transmission 3. The transmission is equippedwith a torque limiter for ensuring that when a valve has been fullyopened or fully closed or becomes jammed, the rotative power supplied bythe transmission will not continue to be forcibly applied to the valvestem. The output end of the torque limiter of the transmission isconnected to a flexible shaft 6 for rotating the same. The other end ofthe shaft 6 is connected to a worm 8 via a joint 14 for rotating theworm. The worm'8 is geared with a worm wheel-9 in the housing 11. Theworm wheel 9 is fixed on a tubular shaft 10 which ends in a fitting 10'that is configured for removable securement to a valve stem for rotatingthe same.

In the instance depicted, the conventional valve stem 7 is equipped witha conventional hand wheel P. The hub 8 of the hand wheel has a detent12' and the fitting 10' which removably mounts upon the hub 8 has a pin12 whose shaft 12" is removably received in the detent 12 for keying thevalve stem rotating head to the valve stem (via the hand wheel). The pinshaft is biased into the detent by a spring 12".

The element 13 is a handle for carrying the valve stem rotating head andfor holding and manipulating the device as the part 10' is fitted overthe hub 8 and the pin 12 inserted in the detent l2.

After the device has been removably installed on a valve, operationthereof in one rotative sense opens the valve and in the oppositerotative sense closes the valve. It can be seen that one device can bewheeled from place to place to operate several valves, one at a time, orseveral valves in one general area can be operated, again one at a time,by moving the cart to that general location, and then carrying the headfrom valve to valve, without moving the cart much.

The device as shown in FIG. 1a has two possible shortcomings: the headmay be too heavy to be readily transported using the handle 13 and onlyone valve at a time can be opened or closed. I

The device shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b overcomes the first possibledrawback and the device shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c overcomes thesecond possible drawback. The principles applicable to the device ofFIGS. 2a and 2b are applicable to the device of FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c, andvice versa.

In FIGS. 2a and 2b there is shown a valve stem rotating head 17including a worm wheel 33 mounted in a housing 30. The worm wheel isreceived about a countershaft clamp 36 having a vertically directedopening therethrough which vertically receives a countershaft 19. Theclamp 36 can be, e.g., manually, actuated to clamp the countershaft withrespect to the worm wheel,

so that when the worm wheel is'rotated, the counter shaft will becorrespondingly rotated.

The countershaft 19 is shown including a joint 41 since the valve to beoperated in the instance depicted is further from the head 17 than couldbe reached with one section of countershaft. The valve to be operatedhas a shaft 34 which is shown received in a connector 35 on the lowerend of countershaft 19 so that when the countershaft 19 is rotated, thevalve shaft is correspondingly rotated.

In FIGS. 2a and 2b, there is also depicted a truck having a body 15. Thetruck is equipped with an engine having a drive shaft 21 which mounts apulley 20. A variable speed transmission 16 is mounted on the truck bodyand driven from the pulley 21 via a belt 24 and another pulley 23. Thetransmission includes a reversing mechanism 26 controlled at 40 foroperating the transmission output shaft 29 in either direction.

A tachometer is depicted at 39.

The output shaft 29 drives a torque limiter 27 which is coupled to aflexible drive shaft 28. The latter is connected to a worm shaft 31which mounts the worm 32 for driving the worm wheel 33.

It should now be noticed that the truck body near one edge thereof isprovided with a turn-table 38 mounted on rails 37 which parallel thatedge. The turn-table may be moved back and forth along the rails andmounts a boom 18 for rotation between a retracted condition wherein theboom is aligned with the rails (solid lines in FIG. 2a) and an extendedcondition wherein the free end of the boom is cantilevered out past saidedge (dashed lines in FIG. 2a, solid lines in FIG. 2b). The head 17 ismounted on the boom 18 at the free end thereof.

Accordingly, the truck may be driven to adjacent the I valve to beoperated and the boom rotated and slid with respect to the turn-table 38and rails 37, respectively, to position the clamp 36 opening directlyover the valve stem 34 whereupon the countershaft may be lowered untilthe socket 35 engages the valve stem 34. Then the clamp 36 may besecured and the shaft 28 driven in a sense to open or close the valve,as desired. Then the clamp 36 may be loosened, the countershaft 19raised to free the socket 35 from the valve stem 34. Upon sliding of thecountershaft 19 from the clamp 36, the boom carrying the head can beswung to an onboard, stowed condition as shown in solid lines in FIG.2a.

All of what is shown in FIG. 3a (minus the valve stems and operatinghandles, of course) could be mounted on a truck body with the severalvalve stem rotating heads being mounted on one or more booms.

In FIG. 3a there are depicted three valve stem rotating heads 63, allattachable at the same time to a respective number of valve stem 62operating handles 66 via attaching means 69. The worm shaft 64 of eachhead 63 is connected to a clutch unit 42 via a respective flexible shaft55 (and/or connecting shaft 67 and flexible shaft 65 in the instance ofthe head 63 at the bottom of the figure, in order to operate upon avalve located more remotely from the clutch unit).

The clutch unit 42 (cf. FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c) is driven via a shaft 45from an adjacent motor 43, via a variable speed gear 44 and aforward/reverse controlling mechanism 44'. Both the motor 68 and theclutch unit 42 are controlled from the controller 60.

Within the clutch unit, three disks 48 are keyed on the shaft 46 forrotation therewith as driven by the shaft 45. The disks are mounted forlimited travel axially of the shaft 45 due to reception of keys thereoninto slots 51. The outer peripheral surface of each disk 48 iscircumferentially grooved at 57. An idler gear 50 is shown received uponthe shaft 46 just to the right of each disk 6 48. The idler gears arenormally freely rotatable with respect to the shaft 46, but not axiallymovable with respect thereto. On its right face, each disk 48 isprovided with a projection 47; on its left face, each idler gear isprovided with a corresponding recess 49. Adjacent each disk 48, a clutchlever 58 is pivotally mounted for leftward and rightward pivoting aboutan axis intersecting each respective lever intermediate the endsthereof. One endof each lever 58 rides in a respective groove 57. Theopposite end of each lever 58 is positioned against the thruster of arespective electromagnetic solenoid device 59. As can be seen, when thesolenoid 59 thrusters are extended (as are the ones at the center andleft of FIG. 3b), the respective disks are shifted leftwards so that theprojections 47 are retracted from the notches 49 and the respectiveidler gears are thus not driven, although the shafts 45 and 46 mayrotate. When the solenoid 59 thrusters are retracted (as is the one atthe right in FIG. 3b), the respective disks are shifted rightwards sothat the projections 47 are re ceived by the notches 49 and therespective idler gears are thus driven as the shafts 45 and 46 rotate.

It should now be noted that where each flexible shaft 55 terminates atthe clutch mechanism, it mounts a gear 56 which meshes with a respectivegear 52 on an individual stub shaft 53 mounted for rotation about itsown longitudinal axis. Also fixed on each stub shaft 53 is a gear 54which is always in meshing relationship with a respective idler gear 50.

The controller 60 includes switches 61 for individually controlling thesolenoids 59. In short, when a solenoid thruster is extended, therelated valve stem rotating head attachment 69 does not rotate and whenthat solenoid thruster is retracted, the related valve stem rotatinghead attachment 69 rotates. Whether the attachment rotates in a sense toopen or to close the valve, it is secured to depends upon whether themotor 43 output is being provided in a forward" or in a reverse sense ascontrolled at 44'. The device 44 includes a torque limiter (as element27 of FIG. 2a). Of course, the motor 68 may be the motor of a vehiclecarrying the set of valve stem rotating heads and their controlmechanisms. y

it should now be apparent that the valve operating device as describedhereinabove possesses each of the attributes set forth in thespecification under the heading Summary of the Invention hereinabove.Because the valve operating device of the invention can be modified tosome extent without departing from the principles of the invention asthey have been outlined and explained in this specification, the presentinvention should be understood as encompassing all such modifications asare within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A valve operating device including: at least one valve stem rotatinghead having means for releasably engaging a valve stem and for applyingtorque thereto in a sense to rotate the valve stem when engagedtherewith;

a flexible shaft having one end connected to the valve stem rotatinghead for driving the same;

a transmission unit including a torque limiting means;

the opposite end of the flexible shaft means being connected to thetransmission unit;

said transmission unit having means for accepting a rotational input andfor supplying rotation to said flexible shaft via said torque limitingmeans, for ensuring against over-torquing of the valve stem when thevalve associated therewith is being opened and becomes fully open andwhen that valve is being closed and becomes fully closed;

a control unit connected to said transmission unit for selectivelyoperating said transmission unit to control rotation of said flexibleshaft; Y

a motor for supplying said rotational input and drive shaft meansconnecting said motor and said transmission unit rotational inputaccepting means, said motor being constituted by a motor vehiclepowering motor mounted on a motor vehicle together with saidtransmission unit and said control unit;

a boom;

turn-table means mounting said boom, cantilever fashion, on said motorvehicle for pivoting about a generally vertical axis near one end of theboom, between a stowed condition on board the motor vehicle and anextended condition wherein the free end of the boom is spaced outwardlyfrom the vehicle; I said valve stem rotating head being mounted on thfree end of the boom; rail means mounted on said motor vehicle; saidturntable being mounted on said rail means t or translation therealongto increase the mobility of the valve head to the valve stem.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CERTIFICATE OF- CORRECTION PatentNo.3,847,039 v Dated November-l2, 1974 Inventor( ZlIO AZUMA It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-idehtified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below;

In the heading:

Please add --[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May. 13, 1971 Japan..l97l-38433-- Signed and sealed this 21st day of January 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents FORM PC4050 (IO-69) Y I USCOMM-DC c0310 P69 i U S. GOVIIIOIIIIPIIIIIIO OHICE "i9 0-386-134

1. A valve operating device including: at least one valve stem rotatinghead having means for releasably engaging a valve stem and for applyingtorque thereto in a sense to rotate the valve stem when engagedtherewith; a flexible shaft having one end connected to the valve stemrotating head for driving the same; a transmission unit including atorque limiting means; the opposite end of the flexible shaft meansbeing connected to the transmission unit; said transmission unit havingmeans for accepting a rotational input and for supplying rotation tosaid flexible shaft via said torque limiting means, for ensuring againstover-torquing of the valve stem when the valve associated therewith isbeing opened and becomes fully open and when that valve is being closedand becomes fully closed; a control unit connected to said transmissionunit for selectively operating said transmission unit to controlrotation of said flexible shaft; a motor for supplying said rotationalinput and drive shaft means connecting said motor and said transmissionunit rotational input accepting means, said motor being constituted by amotor vehicle powering motor mounted on a motor vehicle together withsaid transmission unit and said control unit; a boom; turn-table meansmounting said boom, cantilever fashion, on said motor vehicle forpivoting about a generally vertical axis near one end of the boom,between a stowed condition on board the motor vehicle and an extendedcondition wherein the free end of the boom is spaced outwardly from thevehicle; said valve stem rotating head being mounted on the free end ofthe boom; rail means mounted on said motor vehicle; said turn-tablebeing mounted on said wall means for translation therealong to increasethe mobility of the valve stem rotating head.
 2. The valve operatingdevice of claim 1 wherein each said releasably engaging means isconfigured to fit over a conventional valve stem having a hub for ahandwheel, and is provided with a fitting having a locking pin springbraced into releasable interlocking engagement with the hub for keyingthe valve stem rotating head to the valve stem.